Prakosa targets Singapore, Malaysia to curb log smuggling

Prakosa targets Singapore, Malaysia to curb log smuggling

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Angered by reports that Singapore, Malaysia and China have
been collecting illegal logs from Indonesia, Minister of Forestry
M. Prakosa has decided to visit the countries early next month to
seek solutions to curb the illicit activities.

On the sidelines of a hearing with House of Representatives
Commission III for forestry and agriculture on Tuesday, Prakosa
told The Jakarta Post that the ministry would prioritize
Singapore and Malaysia as the countries to be visited first.

He explained that log smuggling could be reduced drastically
if the government managed to urge the two countries not to accept
illegal logs from Indonesia.

"We shall discuss the issue immediately in bilateral talks
with the government of Singapore and Malaysia, as more than 50
percent of illegal logs are smuggled to those countries,"
grumbled Prakosa.

He explained that before visiting the two countries the
ministry would first coordinate on the matter with Minister of
Trade and Industry Rini Soewandi to obtain the necessary trade
information.

If possible, Rini would also be asked to join the government
team to visit the two countries, he said.

As reported on Monday, during the celebration of the 10th
anniversary of the Center for International Forestry Research,
Prakosa lashed out at a comment that Singapore, Malaysia and
China were the countries that received the greatest amount of
illegal logs from Indonesia.

Prakosa said that of the countries approached by Indonesia for
the issue, Singapore was the most uncooperative.

The country had not yet responded to Indonesia's request,
despite the fact that the government had repeatedly urged the
city-state to stop receiving illegal logs.

The government is attempting to get as many countries as
possible to sign an agreement, restricting them from receiving
illegal logs from Indonesia.

Malaysia and China signed a memorandum of understanding with
Indonesia last year to prohibit their companies from receiving
illegal logs from Indonesia. Both countries have also agreed to
begin bilateral talks regarding the follow-up of the agreement.

Just recently, the country's plywood companies, under the
Indonesian Wood Panel Association (Apkindo), also complained
about illegal log smuggling to the above countries.

Apkindo said that exports of plywood from Indonesia plunged by
15 percent in the first semester of this year as China and
Malaysia flooded the export market with cheaper plywood made from
logs taken illegally from Indonesia.

The association said that for the first half of the year, the
country's plywood exports dropped to 2.7 million cubic meters
from 3.2 million in the same period last year.

Illegal logging has become one of the country's major problems
as it has ruined Indonesia's rain forests and the quality of the
environment in general.

In many areas, illegal logging has also involved government
officials and individuals from the military.

Illegal logging produces some 50.7 million cubic meters of
timber annually, resulting in financial losses to the state of at
least Rp 30.42 trillion (US$3.37 billion).

At least 1.45 million hectares (m ha) of forest are felled
annually, of which only 0.67 m ha are legally felled.